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The Aspen Global Change Institute is an independent nonprofit dedicated to furthering scientific understanding of Earth systems and global environmental change. Our work includes interdisciplinary research, education and outreach, and collaboration with resource managers and policy-makers. Together we strive to facilitate scientific discussion for the betterment of society and natural systems, while promoting practical solutions to the challenges of today's changing Earth systems.

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Keystone CO

July 30, 2018 to August 03, 2018

This workshop will identify challenges and opportunities for existing and future food and vegetable food systems and to prioritize leverage points for systems change and reducing knowledge gaps. The meeting will outline changes in the food system itself & research needs to sustainably and equitably provide healthy, nutritious food to a growing, more urban world population.

Session Description:

Several independent research projects have recently launched to identify climate adaptation and environmental mitigation strategies in fruit and vegetable (F&V) food systems, as F&V play an essential role in nutrition and health. Most people need to eat significantly more F&V to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. Moving towards more plant-based diets would also be expected to reduce GHG emissions. However, meeting increased demand for these highly nutritious but increasingly expensive foods will be challenging for many production regions, some of which are in climate- and water-stressed areas (e.g. California, Chile, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, Spain, S Africa), and which could also be impacted by disrupted trade patterns (e.g. post-Brexit, -TPP, etc.). In certain regions, growers of these crops also produce staple crops, meaning those supply chains must also be explicitly considered. But production is only one aspect of overall food system performance and the achievement of sustainable nutrition security. Access to such foods is urgently needed among the poor in lower & middle income mega-cities. Before reaching consumers, F&V pass through many steps that consume energy, water, and other resources as well as emitting the very GHGs that contribute to climate change. In addition, high amounts (>50%) of F&V are either lost (pre-consumer) or wasted (post-consumer), at high cost to producers, consumers, and the environment. The nutrient content of these crops may degrade over time due to global change, as already shown in certain staple crops. In addition to these scientific issues, public policy (e.g. subsidies) and consumer behavior (diets, trust) are critical components of the food system that must evolve. More diversified global trade networks could contribute to resilience. Progress is urgently needed on all of these topics in order for human nutrition needs to be met in more sustainable ways. The primary goal of the workshop is to assemble these team leaders to exchange early findings and accelerate global progress on sustainably increasing F&V consumption, while also identifying ways to implement the best adaptation and mitigation ideas. Workshop participants will also explore opportunities to initiate a new, integrated global effort on this critical aspect of achieving sustainable nutrition security for all people.

Participants

Participants

Participant profiles are always being updated. For information on participant affiliation at time of conference, please refer to historical roster.

Publications

Increased intake of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is recommended for most populations across the globe. However, the current state of global and regional food systems is such that F&V availability, the production required to sustain them, and consumer food choices are all severely deficient to meet this need. Given the critical state of public health and nutrition worldwide, as well as the fragility of the ecological systems and resources on which they rely, there is a great need for research, investment, and innovation in F&V systems to nourish our global population. Here, we review the challenges that must be addressed in order to expand production and consumption of F&V sustainably and on a global scale. At the conclusion of the workshop, the gathered participants drafted the “Aspen/Keystone Declaration” (see below), which announces the formation of a new “Community of Practice,” whose area of work is described in this position paper. The need for this work is based on a series of premises discussed in detail at the workshop and summarized herein. To surmount these challenges, opportunities are presented for growth and innovation in F&V food systems. The paper is organized into five sections based on primary points of intervention in global F&V systems: (1) research and development, (2) information needs to better inform policy & investment, (3) production (farmers, farming practices, and supply), (4) consumption (availability, access, and demand), and (5) sustainable & equitable F&V food systems and supply chains.

Walter Orr Roberts Public Lecture

July 31, 2018

Presented by:

This talk addresses the challenges of achieving global food security in the 21st century, including climate change, resource depletion, population growth, changing diets, poverty, and conflict. Dr. Naylor will focus on 3 aspects: the seed, the food system, and the solutions.

6:30 pm: Food Security in the 21st Century: New Thinking on an Age-Old Problem

Details

Author/s:

This talk addresses the challenges of achieving global food security in the 21st century, including climate change, resource depletion, population growth, changing diets, poverty, and conflict. Dr. Naylor will focus on 3 aspects: the seed, the food system, and the solutions.

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Aspen Global Change Institute

Mission

The Aspen Global Change Institute is an independent nonprofit dedicated to furthering scientific understanding of Earth systems and global environmental change in service of society. Our work includes interdisciplinary research, education and outreach, and collaboration with resource managers and policy-makers. Together we strive to facilitate scientific discussion for the betterment of society and natural systems, while promoting practical solutions to the challenges of today's changing Earth systems.